The Facts

• The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Egypt "malaria-free" on Sunday, stating that the achievement marks the end of "nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people."The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Egypt "malaria-free" on Sunday, stating that the achievement marks the end of a "nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people."

• To be considered malaria-free, a country must report no local transmission of the disease for three years. After dealing with malaria since 4,000 B.C., Egypt began its path to eradication in the 1920s by limiting mosquito-attracting agriculture, such as rice.

• Egypt, with a population of over 100M, is now one of 44 countries and one territory to eradicate malaria, including its regional neighbors the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. This comes after Egypt once dealt with a 40% malaria prevalence rate.